Penelope Barnes

10.00am - 5.00pm Mondays to Fridays

I am an accredited BACP Counsellor and Psychotherapist with 30 years of experience having worked with people from all walks of life and almost all ages!  I mainly offer open-ended psychotherapy and some short-term, more focused counselling. I recommend a one-off session to start off with, so that together we can make an informed decision about continuing.

I can also meet with parents when it isn's an option for children or young people to access therapy.  I also offer Clinical Supervision to therapists and trainees.

I am currently working in person, and can work on-line if preferred.  My consulting room is in central north Oxford with parking available locally.

Experience and Qualifications

Prior to working as a psychotherapist I worked therapeutically with children at the Mulberry Bush School in Oxfordshire, and went on to work with families and pre-school children at an Action For Children Family Centre.  This included facilitating parenting groups with the Family Nurturing Network, and managed the service, before running the Oxford branch of a Council-run Counselling Service as a therapist and clinical supervisor.   I went on to work as a Consultant Therapist and Clinical Supervisor with OCC for some years. I currently work at Magdalen College School, Oxford, as a Counsellor/Psychotherapist, and have my own private practice for adults and young people 16+.

I originally trained as a Counsellor, in 1992 then as a clinical supervisor, followed by a post grad Diploma in Psychoanalytic Observation with the Tavistock Institute.

As a UK Registered Counsellor and British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited therapist and Clinical Supervisor, with lots of experience, I can work with you on a wide range of difficulties that we encounter in life. As well as the issues already mentioned, I can also help with addictions, phobias, relationship difficulties, eating disorders, and low self-esteem amongst others.

I can give you:

the chance to think about what isn't working for you and why,

an opportunity to make sense of your individual circumstances,

choices for change,

support during the process of change.

I will encourage you to use the sessions to reflect on whatever is on your mind, such as thoughts, feelings, memories, even dreams. By listening, questioning and reflecting on what surfaces, we can begin to make sense of your experiences, leading to new insights, different ways of seeing things, and alternative ways of feeling and ultimately being. As a direct consequence, our lives naturally change, and people respond to us differently, thus making a difference that lasts.